Conservative Party PCC Candidate Says Police Budget a Priority

The Conservative candidate for Staffordshire’s police and crime commissioner, Matthew Ellis, has said dealing with the force budget will be the first priority of the job if he is elected.

The force faces a budget cut from the government of £38.7m over four years and Matthew Ellis said that he would look to use the money available “more efficiently” and would use some of the force reserves.

Mr Ellis said, “The public sector has got to start watching every penny and I believe the police can use the money it gets much better.”

He said he had a plan to give officers tablet computers, which he claimed, would free up their time for “more crucial work.”  The technology has already been tested by Hampshire Police and the Avon and Somerset force.

Mr Ellis continued, “If you look at that pilot it provides 160,000 extra hours of police time on the front line each year and I would use some of the reserves to get it going within six months.  Instead of keeping pots of reserves, I feel the police should rationalise it because it’s public money.”

Staffordshire Police’s budget was set at £191.9m for 2012/13, a reduction of about £6m compared to the 2011/12 figure of £198m.  With further cuts expected between now and 2015, the force said it planned to save about £34m by 2015.

The election for Staffordshire’s new police and crime commissioner takes place on Thursday 15 November.